Current Trends and Funding Opportunities in Biology and

Related Sciences at NSF

Matthew D. Kane

Ecosystem Science Cluster

Division of Environmental Biology

National Science Foundation

NSF

NationalAeronautic and Space

Administration

EnvironmentalProtection

Agency

Smithsonian Institution

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Other agencies

Commerce

Science Advisor

Other boards, councils, etc.

Independent Agencies

Major Departments

Science AdvisorOffice of Science and

Technology Policy

Office of Management and Budget

Agriculture Health and Human Services

Interior Transportation Defense Energy

U.S. President

National Science BoardNational Science Board Office of Office of Inspector Inspector GeneralGeneral

Directorates• Biological Sciences• Comp. & Info. Science & Engineering• Education & Human Resources• Engineering• Geosciences• Mathematical & Physical Sciences• Social, Behaviorial & Econ. Sciences

Offices• Budget, Finance & Award Management• Information & Resource Management

Office of the Director

• Legislative & Public Affairs

• Equal Opportunity Prog.

• General Counsel

• Integrative Activities

• Polar Programs

• Cyberinfrastructure

• International Programs

National Science FoundationNational Science Foundation Director Deputy DirectorDirector Deputy Director

DirectoratesDirectorates• Biological SciencesBiological Sciences• Comp. & Info. Science & EngineeringComp. & Info. Science & Engineering• Education & Human ResourcesEducation & Human Resources• EngineeringEngineering• GeosciencesGeosciences• Mathematical & Physical SciencesMathematical & Physical Sciences• Social, Behaviorial & Econ. SciencesSocial, Behaviorial & Econ. Sciences

OfficesOffices• Budget, Finance & Award Budget, Finance & Award ManagementManagement• Information & Resource Information & Resource ManagementManagement

Office of the DirectorOffice of the Director

• Legislative & Public Legislative & Public Affairs Affairs

• Equal Opportunity Prog.Equal Opportunity Prog.

• General CounselGeneral Counsel

• Integrative actionsIntegrative actions

• Polar ProgramsPolar Programs

• CyberinfrastructureCyberinfrastructure

• International ProgramsInternational Programs

Distinctive Features of NSF

- Emphasis on integrating research and education

- Close interaction with universities

- Rotator system: many program directors are on loan from universities, labs or industry

- Reviews are advisory; program directors make funding decisions

Agenda- Budget and Funding Trends

- Opportunities at All Levels

- Core Programs & Solicitations

- Proposal Preparation

- Merit Review Criteria

- Early career funding opportunities

- Colloboration

Source: AAAS

Trends in Research $ by Agency, FY 1976-2009in billions of constant FY 2008 dollars

One Driverof sciencepolicy

Academic R&D as share of total R&D,by country/economy: Most recent year

SOURCE: National Science Board, Science and Engineering Indicators 2006

Share of U.S. articles among most-cited articles,

total S&E: 1992–2003

SOURCE: National Science Board, Science and Engineering Indicators 2006

6.5 6.97.4 7.8

8.38.9

9.510.2

10.9

8%

5%7% 7% 7% 7% 7%6% 6%

0

2

4

6

8

10

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 20170%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Fiscal Year (FY)

% Over Previous FY

President's Plan for Science and Innovation

Total NSF Funding:FY 2009-FY 2017 (dollars in billions)

9.5

3.0 ARRA

10

Office of Polar Office of Polar ProgramsPrograms

PEETPEET

IGERTIGERT

Dissertation Dissertation ImprovementImprovement

RIGRIG

DatabasDatabaseses

Living Living StocksStocks

Plant Plant Genome Genome Research Research

Organism-EnvironmentOrganism-Environment InteractionsInteractions

Ecology & Ecology & EcosystemsEcosystems

Biological Biological OceanographyOceanography

Dimensions of Dimensions of BiodiversityBiodiversityMetabolic Metabolic

BiochemistBiochemistryry

Environmental Environmental Engineering for Engineering for SustainabilitySustainability

GeobiologyGeobiology

Biodiversity Biodiversity SurveysSurveys& Inventories& Inventories

Climate ChangeClimate Change ScienceScience

RCNRCN

Genes Genes and and Genome Genome SystemsSystems

Ecol. Infect.Ecol. Infect.DiseaseDisease

http://www.nsf.gov/

http://www.nsf.gov/dir/index.jsp?org=BIO

NSF

Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) NSF 11-1Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) NSF 11-1

Provides guidance for preparation of proposals Describes process -- and criteria --by which

proposals will be reviewed Describes process for withdrawals, returns and

declinations Describes the award process and procedures

for requesting continued support Identifies significant grant administrative

highlights

NSF

Types of Proposal SubmissionTypes of Proposal Submission

Target dates

No deadlines (e.g. workshops, SGERs)

Deadlines

Submission Windows

Letters of Intent

Preliminary proposals

Solicited vs. Unsolicited

• Solicited proposals have a published Program Solicitation (Program Announcement)

• Unsolicited proposals are associated with regular research programs

“Unsolicited” Proposals

• Next BIOLOGY Deadline:

July 9, 2011

• Next BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY Target Date:

August 15, 2011

NSF

What to Look for in a Program What to Look for in a Program SolicitationSolicitation

goal of program

eligibility

special requirements

Some Current SolicitationsSome Current Solicitations

Metabolomics for aLow Carbon Society

Dimensions of Biodiversity

Macro-scale Biology

Science and Technology

Centers

Cyber-Enabled Discovery and

Innovation

NSF

Proposal PreparationProposal Preparation

NSF

Funded!

Conceptualize

Declined

Try again

Wh

at n

ext?W

rite

The Proposal Cycle

& R

evis

e

NSF

Consider the Following:Consider the Following:

Start early – give yourself enough time Read the PA and follow rules in GPG Get feedback on your proposal from your colleagues Proposals should be cogent, appropriate, and

justified Study reviews carefully (award or declination) Anticipate criticisms If declined - call your Program Director after reading

your reviews If awarded - follow up on reporting and find out about

supplemental funding

NSF

The NSF Merit Review ProcessThe NSF Merit Review Process

Merit Review CriteriaMerit Review Criteria

What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity? What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity?

NSF invests in the best ideas from the most capable people,

determined by competitivemerit review.

NSF

Proposal Review Criterion:Proposal Review Criterion: Intellectual MeritIntellectual Merit

Potential to advancing knowledge and understanding within and across fields

Qualifications of investigators

Creativity and originality

Conceptualization and organization

Access to resources

NSF

Proposal Review Criterion:Proposal Review Criterion: Broader ImpactsBroader Impacts

Advancement of discovery and understanding while promoting teaching, training and learning

Participation of underrepresented groups Enhancement of infrastructure for research

and education Dissemination of results to enhance

scientific and technological understanding Benefits to society

Any proposal that does NOT address these criteria in the Project Summary – will be RETURNED WITHOUT REVIEW.

NSF

Research & Education Communities

NSF Proposal

GeneratingDocument

ProgramOfficer

Analysis&

Recom..

DivisionDirectorConcur

Award ViaDGA

NSF Proposal & Award Process & Timeline

Organization submits

via:FastLane

Decline

DD Concur

Proposal Receipt to Division Director Concurrence of Program Officer Recommendation

6 Months

DGA Review & Processing of Award

30Days

Award

90 Days

Proposal Preparation Time

Proposal Receiptat NSF

Proposal Processing

Unit

NSFProgramOfficer

Minimum of 3

ReviewsRequired

Mail

Panel

Both

Returned As Inappropriate/Withdrawn

Organization

NSF

What Makes a Proposal Competitive? What Makes a Proposal Competitive?

Likely high impactNew and original ideasCritical approach Sound scientific rationaleSuccinct, focused project planKnowledge of subject area or

published, relevant workExperience in essential methodologyRealistic amount of workSufficient detail

NSF

Something transformative . . .Something transformative . . .

NSF

NSF Sources of ReviewersNSF Sources of Reviewers

program officer’s knowledge of what is being done and who’s doing what in the research & education area

references listed in proposal

reviewer name on file

recent technical programs from professional societies

recent authors in Scientific and Engineering journals

S&E Abstracts by computer search

reviewer recommendations

investigator’s suggestions

NSF

National Science FoundationNational Science Foundation

Funding OpportunitiesFunding Opportunities

Website: http://www.nsf.gov

Where’s the

treasure?

For Graduate Students

- Graduate Research Fellowship Program

- 3-year Fellowships, NSF 10-604

- BIO, Divisions of DEB and IOS

- Dissertation Improvement Grants

- NSF 08-564 (3rd Friday in November)

- International (OISE)

- Dissertation Enhancement Projects

- For research at a foreign site

- NSF 04-036

- Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB)- Broadening Participation of Under-

represented groups in Biology- Intersections of Biology and Math

and Physical Sciences- NSF 10-587

- Office of Polar Programs (OPP)- Check their web page for latest

Postdoctoral Opportunities

Postdoctoral Opportunities

- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS)

- (http://www.nceas.ucsb.edu)

- National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent)

- (http://www.nescent.org)

- National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis

(http://www.nimbios.org)

Early-career Investigators

- Research Initiation Grants (RIG)

- To promote broader participation

- For new faculty

- NSF 09-501

CAREER Awards

- For pre-tenure teacher-scholars

- Integration of research with education

- NSF-wide

- BIO minimum of $500,000 for 5 years

- Check eligibility criteria

- NSF 08-557

For Everyone- RAPID (Grants for Rapid Response

Research)

- Severe urgency with regard to availability of, or access to, data, facilities, etc.

- One year, up to $200,000

- 2-5 pages, internal review

For Everyone- EAGER (EArly-concept Grants for

Exploratory Research)

- Testing novel ideas & approaches

- Ventures into transformative areas

- Important new methodology

- 1-2 years, up to $300,000

- 5-8 pages, internal review

Supplementary Funding- Research Assistantships for High School

Students (RAHSS)

- Research Experiences for Teachers (RET)

- Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)

- Research Opportunity Award (ROA)

1) Read the Solicitations and Manuals (GPG = NSF 11-1)

2) There are diverse funding opportunities at NSF.

3) Change happens. Seek current information.

4) Call or email – we are here to help.

NSF Needs You!

Progra

m O

fficers

Ad hoc Reviewers Adviso

ry P

anel

ists

Division Directors